Friday, August 10, 2007

Friday 08/10 A.M. Quickie:Ankiel, Daly, Beckham, C. Johnson, More!

MLB Stud: Rick Ankiel, who would have earned this spot for nothing else than his call-up. The 3-run HR he hit yesterday was just icing – today, he could be the most unconditionally liked player in baseball (the anti-Bonds, if you will).

The Hall of Fame should collect his bat from last night, if only to have an exhibition on "Perseverence." If that homer was the climax of his comeback, what can he possibly do for an encore? (Wear that Ankiel jersey proudly today, Mr. Leitch.)

PGA Championship: John Daly Mania! This might not last longer than this morning, but isn't Daly's performance the most interesting thing to happen to golf all year?

Beckham Watch: He finally played, and I actually kept the game on the screen to see it. What I should have done was turn down the volume on the insipid Beckham licking coming from the TV commentators. He had my attention, but didn't do much once he had it.

Lions 27, Bengals 26: Calvin Johnson is going to be VERY good. How soon before we can refer to him simply as "Calvin" and everyone will know who we're talking about?

Bonds Watch: His batting helmets for 755 and 756 are going to Cooperstown. I like that the Hall of Fame doesn't trouble itself with Selig-style waffling or pandering.

Meanwhile, I truly hope that Matt Murphy doesn't sell the Bonds ball. What a display of sincerity around a subject otherwise marked by deception and bad feelings.

Penny Hardaway signs with the Heat: I guess we should all be thankful he didn't do the obvious thing and join the bandwagon of former stars lining up to play in Boston.

(Is Allan Houston going to have a comeback, too? Hey: Just because he has the exact same game as Reggie Miller and Ray Allen shouldn't stop him from joining the Celtics, too.)

Pac-Man Fever: Anyone catch Pac-Man Jones on the TNA show last night? Somehow, I don't think he can claim "misunderstood."

MLB Dud: The Tigers, who lost a second straight home game to the Devil Rays. Detroit has lost 6 of 8 and seems to be fumbling its way out of the playoff chase.

Backup punter guilty of assault: Mitch Cozad convicted in what was without question the weirdest sports crime of the last year.

NFL This Weekend:Falcons-Jets: Life without VickPats-Bucs: Watch those NE WRsBills-Saints: Eyes on BushRams-Vikings: Minnesota RBsJags-Dolphins: How many Leftwich snaps?Packers-Steelers: Has Favre retired yet?Chiefs-Browns: Will we see Brady Quinn?Bears-Texans: Eye on Matt SchaubRedskins-Titans: Vince Young ManiaPanthers-Giants: Meh.Cards-Raiders: Russell the new Leinart?Seahawks-Chargers: Alexander vs. LT (in theory)

Oregon vs. Boise St in China: If Oregon wants Boise St to play them in China, why are the Ducks asking the Broncos to give up the home game? Why doesn't Oregon volunteer to give up THEIR home game?

Mamet to do UFC movie: I can... What, goddammit?... I can think of... Fucking cripes: Think of what?... Hey, wait... Oh, fuck off. Just spit it out... I'm not sure I want to anymore... Oh, what the fuck: Are you some kind of pansy?... Now see here... Christamighty: I'll say it. I can't think of a better fucking person to do a movie about UFC than David Mamet.

I heard that Jessica Alba is now dating Dane Cook, who was paired with her for some upcoming movie. If THAT is true, then Jessica Alba's hotness just went down the toilet for me. That is a primo candidate for the hotchickswithdouchebags.com.

I watched the Mets game on my computer. The first catch by Harris was definitely still in the park, and I think, based on the side view from left field, that the second one wasn't going out either. Not to say they weren't great catches, but not exactly Endy Chavez-level great!

Good to see Ankiel not wearing 66, either.

I can't wait for Daly to shoot 79 today or something. Why is this guy a crowd favorite? Because he's a fat drunken chain-smoking slob? Those are the people I get away from at sporting events, sheesh....

Aren't the Heat and Magic supposed to kind of be rivals? Isn't this slightly akward for Magic fans? Isn't this like Shaq and Kobe reuniting to play for the Clippers? Or Patrick Ewing and John Starks reuniting on the Nets? I used to love the Shaq/Penny/Nick/Horace/Brian/Dennis teams. They were awesome. I hope Penny starts doing "Lil' Penny" commecials again now. That would be hilarious.

"Alas, it seems Ms. Alba has actually been hired for "The Love Guru," a movie that will introduce the next Mike Myers character that your annoying friends will quote incessantly. According to Michael Fleming in Variety, Myers has tapped Alba (he should be so lucky), "Blades of Glory" actor Romany Malco and his "Austin Powers" buddy Verne Troyer as his co-stars for a film set to be released in June 2008: In his first new character creation since Austin Powers, Myers plays Pitka, an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. After moving back to the U.S., he attempts to settle a rift between a hockey player (Malco) and his wife, who begins scoring with the star player of a rival team. Alba plays the hockey team owner and Troyer the team coach. Pitka's job is to check that illicit romance and reunite the couple so the star player can lead his team to the championship.Mini-Me as a hockey coach? Suddenly, Jessica Alba as a team owner isn't the biggest suspension of disbelief in the film anymore."

I can't believe you're not excited about the Panthers-Giants game - this will be the most we get to see all season of the man they call...J-LoadThe Pillsbury Throw-BoyThe Hefty LeftyThe Round Mound of Touchdown

Jared Lorenzen!

Ok, so I'm a UK fan who's pumped to see him doing all right for himself. But you have to admit he's a helluva lot of fun to watch.

The LLWS is so much fun. Baseball at it's purest. Plus great weird rules like "Special Pinch Runner". And as I said last night...

As I said, all of this is inpreperation of an extremely fun trip to Williamsport, PA for 4 games that me and my friends take every summer. It is a great trip.

For the record, it's not like I knew all of this stuff before. All of it was taken from the official LLWS website and one article that came up easily on google.

I have an arrangement with the 3 other guys that go every year. I take care of the scouting (although they also watch the games on TV before we go), another guy takes care of the food (helped by the fact that his dad ownes a meat company), another guy drives and takes care of the gas, and the last guy arranges the hotels and some other stuff.

As a G-men fan I love Lorenzen...even though he is only used on fourth an inches plays where we need a QB sneak, it always hilarious to see him waddle out on the field. I am waiting for the fake fourth and inches push and watch him hit a streaking WR for a TD. Its going to happen, Coughlin just needs to time it just right.

hey dan - i know this is 2 days late but i just read your thots on costas reaction to bonds and you couldnt be more right. costas is a dickhead. he really sucks and i hope the entire world now ignores him, at the very least his miserable ideas about baseball and about how its 'supposed' to be played. seriously, what an ass that guy.

I guess my therapist would say that going to the LLWS is somehow connected to the fact that I would have gone as a kid as a player had I not shredded a tendon in my shoulder throwing a fastball the season I was 12.

The thing is, the baseball *might* be sorta pure (except for the "everyone must play 2 innings and bat once rule....I used to pray that only 9 people on my team would actually show up on any one night)....but with ESPN making it an annual hoo-hah, we just KNOW that won't last much longer....obvious signs of erosion yet?

KC to Omaha is roughly 3 hours, very very boring drive because there's basically nothing between the two cities.

Over the years my enjoyment of the LLWS has dropped. A bunch of these kids are my size or bigger (5'9") and are supposedly only 12. They've outgrown the size of the diamond and it's ruined the game in my opinion.

And the prude in me wonders how these coaches let 12 year olds go out there throwing curveball after curveball after curveball shredding their elbows.

Well, the mandatory play rule is one plate appearence and 3 defensive outs.

They have long had the mercy rule of if a team leads by 10 runs at the end of 4 or 5 innings the game is over.

The "Special Pinch Runner" Rule is that you can pinch run for a guy but don't have to take him out of the game. But you can only do it once an inning, and only once for the same player, and only once with the same player, and it doesn't count towards the runner's mandatory play. The runner also must not be currently in the game.

The new rule this year is pitch count limits. If you pitch less than 20 pitches nothing happens. If you pitch between 20-45 then you can't pitch for 1 calendar day. If you pitch more than 45 you have to sit out 2 calendar days. And a pitcher can't pitch more than 85 pitches in 1 game although he is aloud to finish the batter he is pitching to. Pitches thrown during intentional walks do not count as pitches.

You can't leave a base to steal untill the ball has crossed home plate and the game lasts 6 innings.

Being a former pitcher, a curveball thrown the correct way does not affect the arm any moreso than a fastball. It is the exact same motion. The difference is in the wrist. If done correctly no damage should be done that is out of the norm from a normal throwing motion.

The problem is that kids are taught to snap the wrist/elbow in an effort to put more spin on the ball. This turns the pitch more into a slider than a curveball.

Hey Guy, don't feel so bad. I really like the LLWS too. For me it started when my parents and I stopped in Williamsport to visit the LLHOF on a vacation when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Then in '91 and '93 teams from our city (Hamilton, OH) went to the WS, so it became a pretty big deal and I've watched it every year ever since (but I've never been to the series).

Anyways, everyone is pretty exited again this year in Hamilton because the team is in the regional finals tomorrow night.

I cant believe irons is out for the year, chris perry is out for half the season as well, and we all know about chris henry. good thing the bengals are loaded on offense.

i was watching the lions-bengals game last night and saw calvin johnson almost roll his knee very awkwardly while run blocking in 3rd quarter, i cant believe they would even let him block in a preseason game.

I'd say your hometown is the favorite against Indiana. They beat them 2-0 the first time and Ohio has won all 5 of their games by a combined score of 53-11 while Indiana has gone 3-2 with a total score of 31-15.

I don't like how in that region they have 6 teams but you only play 4 first round games though. That seems stupid. Ohio missed playing the only other good team (Illinios) and Indiana missed playing the worst team (Wisconsin). That just doesn't seem fair.

Because Oregon has permission to play in China in 2009 (Aug 27, 28 or 29) which is the Boise St home game. Boise St has already said if they take it, they want another home game from Oregon another season so they don't lose a home game.

Harold Reynolds is much better than Steve "DoucheNozzle" Phillips any day of the week. How was that guy a GM anyway? It's a shame that an out of office hug got Reynolds fired.

@ lawdog - You are absolutely correct (not a former pitcher but I do not the inner workings of baseball) that a curveball thrown the correct way does absolutely no more damage than any other pitch. Pitching is something that is not a natural motion and can lead to injury no matter what pitch is thrown.

The LLWS used to be great but when the 12 year olds are bigger than some MLB players (Eckstein for example) the game just isn't that great anymore.

Since the Danny Almonte debacle they are really hardcore about birth certificates. If there is any doubt they do an in depth investigation and if they still can't figure it out they make the kid inelligible.

Last year though, I have to say that when I stood near Aaron Durley who was 6"8, 256 pounds, size 19 shoe, at just over 13 years old I was shocked.

What's weird is that there was no dispute over his birth because he was born in Houston and his certificate was on file.

That would never happen. Besides, it's not like Aaron Durley was any better than other kids. He wasn't the best hitter, fielder, or anything else on their team. He was too slow in the field but had an OK glove at 1st base. But if you've ever watched the LLWS you know that the pitching is what wins games. Pitchers killed him because his strikezone was roughly the size of the entire state that Williamsport resides in. It's not like he had any advantages.

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.